The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-05
EYE DISEASES.
How Thoy Are Spread by Towettp
Flies, and Spectac1es.


Flies, and Spectacles.
To mention few of the modes o.
contagion, have to speak, in the hrsA
place, of towels, especially OF thas
abominable institution known as this
yoler-towel, which has been used sGP
much in asylums where forty fifty, or
more children use the same towel
whether they have granular lids or not
True, in great many of these cases
the existence OF granular lids was noS
known; but even in cases in which th@.
existence of the disease was evidens-
the ignorance or careless of the persons
in charge has allowed transmission by
means of towels to be one of the moss
frequent sources of contagion. As a
carrier of the 'contagion, the house-ny
plays an important role, especially liz
cases of young children who are MOI
able TO protect themselves against the
visits of this little animal. Attracte6
by the swedish odor Of the discharge IL
will settle upon the eyes of children al
fected with the disease especially in
fants, and carry the contagion in its
claws to the other eye or eyes of sleep
ing infants.
Spectacles may be the carrier OF the
contagion. | remember the case OF ~
Young lady who could not explain sat;
isfactorily how she came TO have gran,
ular lids. Upon her return to school,
she mentioned that she had granular
lids, whercupon one of her classmates
said: why, that is the disease which "
have been suffering from for the lssE
six months" This class-mate was
near-sighted, and used glasses. Ny.
patient was also near-sighted but had
not used glasses, and whenever She
wanted TO see anything ut distances
she was in the habit of borrowing the
spectacles of her friend, and there is no
doubt in my mind that .his was thu
means of carrying the poison from tho
classmates eye to my prtionts eye.
Children with granular lids are very
apt to rub the eyes, because the secre-
ton as it begins to dry on the edge OF
the lids, causes an irritating. itching
sensation. They will now play with
other children. and from their hands
transfer the poison to the hands OF the
other children, and these latter rubbing
their eyes contract the disease. LAND
ling objects which have been used by
granular lids patients may be the
means OF carrying the contagion. n
young lady who volunteered to teach
children affected with granular lids, anc
who had been isolated from other chill
iren IN a certain institution, was warn
ed TO be extremely careful with regard
to using handkerchiefs, towels or any
thing that belonged TO the children.
She was well aware of the danger, aH'I
promised to be very careful. She ham
died nothing whatever, she said, that
belonged to the children, left her cloak,
outside, and in the classroom kept
away from the children a distance OF
five or six feet. But upon examination
Of her eyes fourteen days after she had
taken Office, it was found that she began
to suffer from granular lids. Upon IN
1uiry, found that she had taken copy
books and states of the children for cor
rection and in all probability she got
the poison from the states and books on
her hands and then conveyed II to her
eyes. A teacher of another section IN
the same institution was more careful;
she simply walked into the classroom.
did not touch anything belonging to the
children, and for two or three months,
during the duration of this epldemia
she was not affected by the disease
The atmosphere had evidently not been
the carrier OF the contagion in the lrst
ease. Medical and Surgica! Reporter.